I have 5 CC’s, combined debt of $13,000. The utilization of these CC’s are over 30%. My overall utilization is around 45%. One card is at 70% because it was used for medical bills ($5000). This has been on deferred interest for the past 6 months and this offer is due to expire in August, which will give me a lot of extra interest charges. I need to do something to move the $5k off the credit card and am wondering how a debt consolidation loan would impact my score. I can’t balance transfer anything. Would it be better to just put $5000 on a loan? The other problem I have is that I also need to get a car loan ($6k) in August. I’m concerned about too many things hitting my report but I don’t really have a choice. Recently, one of my CC companies reduced my CL but after a conversation, they reinstated it. I’m anxious to clean up my report. My score is in low 700s. What should I do?
It’s always possible there are some errors on your credit report causing your credit score to be much lower than it should be. At the beginning of any endeavor to improve your credit, get acquainted with your free 3-bureau credit report (from annualcreditreport.com) so you know what belongs on them. Check carefully for any errors to your name, identifying information, account names, account numbers, credit limits, balances, and payment dates, and if you find any errors dispute them and have your report corrected. If there were errors regarding payments or credit limits and they are resolved, your credit score may improve dramatically and quickly, depending on the error.
While it’s not a requirement to file, it should be noted that there is a second financial planning course that must be taken before a filer makes their last payment on the Chapter 13 plan. This course prepares the filer for financial success after the bankruptcy is final, which helps reduce the likelihood that they’ll need to rely on bankruptcy again in the future.
It sounds like you are in a Catch-22 – you can’t pay down your debt without consolidating, and you can’t consolidate until you pay down your debt. That makes me think that you could be a good candidate for credit counseling. A credit counseling agency does not care about your credit scores. Your interest rates and payments will likely be reduced, and you will have a plan for paying back your debt in a reasonable period of time. We talked about that more in this article: Does Credit Counseling Work?
Once you have completed credit counseling, you can start your bankruptcy case with your attorney. This involves filing a packet of forms with the local bankruptcy court. Required forms include the bankruptcy petition, forms for your financial information, a list of your income and expenses, and proof you have passed the Chapter 7 means test. You will also list your property exemptions based on limits in your state.
How to use it effectively: The money you withdraw from your 401(k) loan should go directly to paying off your credit card debt. After your debts are paid off, payments most likely will be taken from your paychecks until your loan is repaid. If not, continue to make regular, on-time payments. While you’re repaying your loan remember to keep your job — don’t quit and avoid any actions that may lead to your dismissal so you aren’t subject to penalties.

Rapid rescoring is a little-known strategy explained by credit guru Liz Pulliam Weston in her book, "Your Credit Score: Your Money and What's at Stake." Unlike credit repair services, which are almost always a scam, rapid rescoring is a legitimate way to improve your credit score in as little as a few hours – if there are verifiable inaccuracies on your credit report. For rapid rescoring to work, you must have proof that negative items on your credit report are incorrect.

Credit repair success requires a universal perspective. You cannot afford to become myopic. Many people become so interested in monitoring the removal of derogatory items (which, admittedly, can be very exciting) that they ignore other major opportunities to boost their credit scores. Did you know that a single maxed-out credit card can depress your credit scores by over one hundred points? Conversely, paying your balances down can create an equal and opposite effect of increasing your scores by that amount. Pay your balances down and watch your scores take off. You should allow sixty days for the creditors to update the balances with the bureaus.
Assuming you are consistently paying on time (the No. 1 thing you can do to help your credit), take a look at your debt-to-available credit ratio. You want to get that to under 30% (under 10% is even better). Your credit mix is also a factor. If you have the income to make more than minimum payments, though, that is the best way to make an impact. You can read more here:
This last step is easy too! Our strategy puts the bad credit of your past further and further behind you showing the credit bureaus that you are improving your credit. We make this easy for you by hand selecting the right credit cards for you to choose from - the ones that will get reported to the credit bureaus and are easier for individuals going through credit repair to get approved with.

Of course, those situations aren't the norm, and most of us with credit card bills looking to get rid of them aren't in that position. That's not to say there aren't situations where debt consolidation loans can offer people who really need them the breathing room to get out of debt and organize their finances. ReadyForZero has a great post on this topic, and showcases some examples of when debt consolidation can be a good choice—and even save you money on interest while getting you out of debt faster.

Bad credit is not a life sentence, which is good news for the roughly one-third of people with credit scores below 620. So if your credit is damaged, there are indeed steps that you can take to rebuild. After all, rebuilding credit is a process that takes time and requires focus on the fundamentals. And we’ll explain exactly what you need to do below.

You’ll use your own money as collateral by putting down a deposit, which is often about $150 – $250. Typically, the amount of your deposit will then be your credit limit. You should make one small purchase each month and then pay it off on time and in full. Once you prove you’re responsible, you can get back your deposit and upgrade to a regular credit card. Read more about secured cards here.

When negative information in your report is accurate, only time can make it go away. A credit reporting company can report most accurate negative information for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years. Information about an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. The seven-year reporting period starts from the date the event took place. There is no time limit on reporting information about criminal convictions; information reported in response to your application for a job that pays more than $75,000 a year; and information reported because you’ve applied for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance.
Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific product’s site. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institution’s Terms and Conditions. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion® directly.
Don’t refinance Federal loans unless you are very comfortable with your ability to repay. Think hard about the chances you won’t be able to make payments for a few months. Once you refinance student loans, you may lose flexible Federal payment options that can help you if you genuinely can’t afford the payments you have today. Check the Federal loan repayment estimator to make sure you see all the Federal options you have right now.
When the bureaus and data furnishers receive the dispute and supporting information, they will then work with the credit repair company to determine if the item should be removed from your credit report. The major law dictating your rights when it comes to credit reporting is the Fair Credit Reporting Act, but it isn’t the only law on your side when it comes to credit repair.
During the briefing, filers will learn alternative options for resolving their debt that can help them avoid filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The counseling ranges in price, with online classes offered by some providers for $14.95 per household and one-on-one phone sessions for $50 per person. Lastly, some providers charge an extra fee for the completion certificate sent to the bankruptcy court.
Wanting to maximize results with our credit repair service? maybe build credit? or simply looking for a credit card? You came to the right place! Easy Solutions can help you apply for a credit card online. We've made it easy and fast! Simply review the credit card offers below, click the one that interests you, review the terms and conditions, and apply!
Did you just get a tax refund, a bonus, a raise or an inheritance? Instead of spreading it out and making small extra payments to all of your debts, opt for the snowball method. Consider paying as much as you can towards the debt with the lowest balance so you can reduce or eliminate it entirely (while keeping the account open). This reduces your credit utilization dramatically and can increase your credit score just as dramatically and quickly. Reducing your credit utilization from 50% of your credit limit down to 30% of your credit limit can result in a 50-point score lift, according to the VantageScore report.
Making your credit payments on time is one of the biggest contributing factors to your credit scores. Some banks offer payment reminders through their online banking portals that can send you an email or text message reminding you when a payment is due. You could also consider enrolling in automatic payments through your credit card and loan providers to have payments automatically debited from your bank account, but this only makes the minimum payment on your credit cards and does not help instill a sense of money management.
Don’t try to transfer debt between two cards of the same bank. It won’t work. Balance transfer deals are meant to ‘steal’ your balance from a competing bank, not lower your rate from the same bank. So if you have a Chase Freedom® with a high rate, don’t apply for another Chase card like a Chase Slate® and expect you can transfer the balance. Apply for one from another bank.

First Republic Eagle Gold. The interest rates are great, but this option is not for everyone. Fixed rates range from 1.95% – 4.45% APR. You need to visit a branch and open a checking account (which has a $3,500 minimum balance to avoid fees). Branches are located in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Newport Beach, San Diego, Portland (Oregon), Boston, Palm Beach (Florida), Greenwich or New York City. Loans must be $60,000 – $300,000. First Republic wants to recruit their future high net worth clients with this product.

If you use the second method — and this if the first time you rehabilitated the student loan — the default associated with the loan will also be removed from your credit reports. Although the late payments associated with the loan will remain for up to seven years from the date of your first late payment, having the default removed could help your score.

Write a letter to the specific credit reporting agency that shows the falsehood, whether it is Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. Explain the mistake and include a copy of the highlighted report along with your documentation. Although certain bureaus now let you submit disputes online, it’s not a bad idea to send this letter by certified mail, and keep a copy for yourself. The reporting agency has 30 days from the receipt of your letter to respond. The Federal Trade Commission provides advice on contacting the credit bureaus about discrepancies. Here are the contact numbers and web sites for the three credit bureaus: